Georgia Power Feeds Milledgeville Hungry

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Georgia Power crew took over Café Central’s kitchen, Tuesday.

Café Central is the only active soup kitchen in Milledgeville, according to the Director of the café, Ann Bowen.

Bowen usually works with nearly 50 volunteers every Tuesday, to serve food to more than 350 people.

But, this time she said she was speechless when she arrived at the Freedom Church’s fellowship Hall and saw more than 30 Georgia Power volunteers already working. Bowen said with Georgia Power stepping up to meet the needs of the community her group of volunteers could take a break.

“When I got here they were already here and I could not believe it,” says Bowen. There they were busy as bees. They didn’t even look up from their jobs, when I came in. They were just working, working, working, and I was just WOW! This is awesome. I was really overwhelmed. They are wonderful.”

Volunteers from the Georgia Power Plant Branch in Milledgeville put their motto of being “A citizen wherever they serve” into action.

The running joke in Milledgeville’s Café Central Kitchen was how many Georgia Power Employees does it take, to make French fries

Georgia Power’s Plant Branch volunteers prepared and served meals to those in need. The special luncheon is part of the company’s community service project.

Georgia Power Volunteer Coordinator for the event, Stan Locke says he is a member of Freedom Church. He wanted to incorporate what he does at the office with ministry at his church.

“I felt like coming out today and serving and preparing this food for these people is the best way for us to show as employees of Georgia Power that we are citizens where we serve,” says Locke.

Volunteers served around 300 meals a week at café central, which is located inside Freedom Church in Milledgeville. But this time, when Georgia Power took over the café they served as waitresses, waiters, and cooks.

Some guests also selected from an array of free clothes, after feasting on pulled pork bar-b-cue sandwiches, baked beans, French fries, coleslaw, potato salad and dessert.

Bowen says Café Central, is open to anyone who wants to eat.

“Our house burned down Oct. 29, of last year,” says Brian Carpenter, who was with his with Virginia at the luncheon. “Some friends of ours at that trying time of year, told us about [Café Central,} and we’ve been coming ever since.”